Year 4 English: Identify the Simple Subject or Predicate of a Sentence

Introduction

Hello, Year 4! Today, we’re going to learn about something very important in English called the simple subject and simple predicate of a sentence. Don’t worry; I’ll explain everything in a way that’s easy to understand!

What is a Simple Subject?

The simple subject is who or what the sentence is about. It’s usually a noun (a person, place, thing, or idea).

Examples of Simple Subjects:

• The cat is sleeping.
• My brother plays football.
• The flowers are blooming.

In these sentences, the simple subjects are “the cat,” “my brother,” and “the flowers.” They tell us who or what the sentence is about.

What is a Simple Predicate?

The simple predicate is the verb or action in the sentence. It tells us what the subject is doing.

Examples of Simple Predicates:

• The cat is sleeping.
• My brother plays football.
• The flowers are blooming.

In these sentences, the simple predicates are “is sleeping,” “plays,” and “are blooming.” They tell us what the subject is doing.

Key Rules

1. Identify the Subject: Ask yourself, “Who or what is this sentence about?”
2. Find the Predicate: Ask, “What is the subject doing?”
3. Look for the Verb: The predicate will usually contain a verb, which tells the action.

Tips and Tricks

• Remember, the simple subject is the main part of the sentence that we can usually find by asking, “Who or what?”
• The simple predicate is what happens to the subject or what the subject does.
• If you can’t find the simple subject or predicate, try breaking the sentence into smaller parts.

Practice Time!

Now, let’s practice identifying simple subjects and predicates with some questions!

Easy Level Questions

1. The dog barks.
2. Sarah reads a book.
3. The sun shines.
4. My friend sings.
5. The cake is delicious.
6. The children play outside.
7. The train is late.
8. The teacher explains the lesson.
9. The birds fly.
10. The car stopped.

Medium Level Questions

11. The boy with the blue hat runs fast.
12. The group of students is quiet.
13. The tall building swayed in the wind.
14. The little girl danced happily.
15. The cat on the roof jumped down.
16. The team of players won the match.
17. The movie we watched was exciting.
18. The flowers in the garden smell lovely.
19. The puppy chased its tail.
20. The librarian helped us find books.

Hard Level Questions

21. The teacher and the students are preparing for the class.
22. The family who loves to travel visited many countries.
23. The bicycle that I ride to school is red.
24. The books on the shelf belong to my sister.
25. The man with the hat is my uncle.
26. The house that we built last year is beautiful.
27. The athlete who trains hard won the race.
28. The song that she sang was very popular.
29. The car that broke down was old.
30. The girl who reads every day loves stories.

Answers and Explanations

Easy Level Answers

1. Subject: dog; Predicate: barks.
2. Subject: Sarah; Predicate: reads a book.
3. Subject: sun; Predicate: shines.
4. Subject: friend; Predicate: sings.
5. Subject: cake; Predicate: is delicious.
6. Subject: children; Predicate: play outside.
7. Subject: train; Predicate: is late.
8. Subject: teacher; Predicate: explains the lesson.
9. Subject: birds; Predicate: fly.
10. Subject: car; Predicate: stopped.

Medium Level Answers

11. Subject: boy; Predicate: runs fast.
12. Subject: group; Predicate: is quiet.
13. Subject: building; Predicate: swayed in the wind.
14. Subject: girl; Predicate: danced happily.
15. Subject: cat; Predicate: jumped down.
16. Subject: team; Predicate: won the match.
17. Subject: movie; Predicate: was exciting.
18. Subject: flowers; Predicate: smell lovely.
19. Subject: puppy; Predicate: chased its tail.
20. Subject: librarian; Predicate: helped us find books.

Hard Level Answers

21. Subject: teacher and students; Predicate: are preparing for the class.
22. Subject: family; Predicate: visited many countries.
23. Subject: bicycle; Predicate: is red.
24. Subject: books; Predicate: belong to my sister.
25. Subject: man; Predicate: is my uncle.
26. Subject: house; Predicate: is beautiful.
27. Subject: athlete; Predicate: won the race.
28. Subject: song; Predicate: was very popular.
29. Subject: car; Predicate: broke down.
30. Subject: girl; Predicate: loves stories.

Conclusion

Great job, Year 4! Now you know how to identify the simple subject and predicate in a sentence. Remember to practice these skills when you read or write, and soon you’ll be a pro! If you have any questions or need more practice, just ask!